Guide to NBA Betting

NBA betting is one of the most exciting forms of sports betting.

With the fast pace of basketball games, quick changes in momentum and spectacular feats of athleticism, few sports can get the heart pumping like the NBA can. If this sounds like your kind of action, then read on for an introduction to online NBA betting.

One of the nice things about being a fan of NBA betting is that you never suffer from a lack of games to bet on. New games are hosted all the time during the NBA season and plus there are extra events such as the slam dunk contest that offer more betting opportunities. And if you really want to get into it, there are even professional international basketball leagues that are open for betting.

NBA Betting Online

NBA betting is big on the internet, so every sportsbook we’ve ever seen offers NBA betting. We’ve found that the US-facing sportsbooks are the best for NBA betting since the United States is where all the NBA action takes place.

One thing you may want to consider is checking each of these sportsbooks before you place any NBA bets. In many games, different sportsbooks come to different conclusions about NBA games and therefore offer different lines. If you have a specific bet in mind, you can check a couple of sportsbooks and get the best odds possible.

The NBA basketball betting sites on this page all accept the most common deposit methods. If you live in the US or anywhere else, you can use credit cards and debit cards (Visa, MasterCard and Diners Club) to deposit quickly. Players from the US can also use e-wallets such as UseMyWallet to make fast deposits.

If you live outside the US, you have even more deposit options to choose from. Players from the UK, Europe and Australia can use services such as Moneybookers and Click2Pay to make deposits of all sizes. No matter where you live, you’ll have at least a few deposit options to choose from.

NBA Bets

The following types of NBA bets are the most common at online sportsbooks. Read on for a brief overview of the main types of NBA bets.

NBA Point Spreads

NBA point spreads are very common and very easy to use. In a point spread bet, the sportsbook takes points away from one team and gives points to the other team. This is done to even the odds when one team is considered stronger than the other. For example:

Chicago Bulls -9

Toronto Raptors +9

In this matchup, the Bulls must win by 10 points or more for the bet to be a win. If you bet on the Bulls, you will only win your bet if the bulls win by 10 points or more. If you bet on the Raptors, you will win if the Raptors win the game or lose by fewer than 10 points.

NBA Money Lines

Your goal in NBA money line bets is to predict which team will win the game. Instead of manipulating the points to even the odds, the sportsbooks simply change how much they are willing to pay for bets on each team. For example:

Chicago Bulls -500

Toronto Raptors +350

The Bulls are heavy favorites in this game, so the sportsbook is giving them odds of -500. This means that you will have to wager $5.00 for every $1.00 in winnings. So if you wager $500 on the Bulls and they win, you will emerge with $100 in winnings.

The Raptors are heavy underdogs in this game, so they are getting odds of +350. This means that the sportsbook will pay you $3.50 for every $1.00 you risk on them. A successful $100 bet on the raptors would result in a $350 win.

NBA Over Under Bets

Also known as “NBA totals” these are bets on how many points will be scored in the game. The sportsbook sets a total number of points and then you can place a wager on whether the combined score of both teams will be over or under that amount. These wagers usually pay even money.

NBA Props

NBA props are basketball bets that involve topics other than the winner of the game. These NBA bets can cover a lot of ground, so be prepared to see anything. A few of the most common topics for NBA prop bets are wagers on how many points the star of the team will score, which team will score the first basket and so on.

NBA Futures

NBA futures are aptly named because they involve events that take place a little farther in the future than most bets. Common topics for NBA futures are wagers on which team will win certain championships or which player will be voted for certain awards. These wagers often offer high payouts.